Whether you operate a large commercial farm or a small backyard garden, nutrient deficiencies can happen with both organic farming and commercial agriculture. To produce healthy yields, it is important to understand which nutrient deficiencies are common in organic crops and how to cure them.
Tag: organic farming
How Will the New FDA Food Safety Rules Impact America’s Organic Farms?
Organic farmers across the country have been worried about how new food safety rules by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will affect their agricultural businesses. Critics say the proposed rules go too far, essentially spelling the end of organic and sustainable farming as we know it in America.
What To Know About the European Union’s New Organic Food Rules
The organic farming industry has been booming throughout the European Union (EU), which has prompted the governing body to reassess organic rules and policies in the region. The European Commission says that the region’s organic market has quadrupled in size during the past decade, so rules need to be updated and adjusted to accommodate future developments and challenges.
Organic Farming Holds Promise for Impoverished Southeastern U.S. Region
The current goal is to build an operational network of 11,000 organic farms in the Black Belt throughout Alabama and Georgia. Not only will accomplishing this goal supply local residents with safe, healthy foods, but it will also create jobs by enabling residents to become independent entrepreneurs with small tracts of land.
Organic Farming: Agriculture’s Answer to Climate Change
You can’t flip on the news these days without hearing about the devastating effects of climate change. Glaciers are melting, natural disasters are becoming more frequent, and wildlife species are losing their habitats every year. Not only does climate change affect these aspects of our environment, but it also threatens the world’s food supply. Long-term…
What Is Permaculture and How Does It Apply To Organic Farming?
By definition, permaculture is a design system, inspired by nature and based on environmental ethics, that helps man coexist with the earth in sustainable ways. The word, which was derived from “permanent agriculture” and “permanent culture,” was coined by a young Australian ecologist, David Holmgren, in the mid-1970s. 12 Core Principles of Permaculture Observe and…
Organic Farming Improves Soil Quality, Ensures Sustainability
Most people know that organic farming methods improve the quality of their food. But did you know that it actually improves the quality of the earth’s soil too? Soil quality is affected by food, fiber, and feed production, and it’s directly linked to pollution, energy use, and global warming. The quality of soil around the…
Training the Next Generation of Organic Farmers
Undoubtedly, the future of agriculture will depend upon organic farming. And the future of the world will depend upon our children and grandchildren. So what are we doing today to train the next generation of organic farmers for tomorrow? America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers, Organic Valley, recently organized its first Generation Organic Teach-In. Through the program, young organic…
Organic Farming: Less Energy, Less Waste!
Most people have heard that organically-grown foods are healthier, but did you know that they conserve the environment too? According to Cornell University ecology and agriculture professor, David Pimentel, “Organic farming approaches for these crops [corn and soybeans] not only use an average of 30 percent less fossil energy but also conserve more water in…
Organic Farming Around the World
The basic principles of original farming that were practiced for thousands of years are now considered to be “organic farming” because no inorganic methods were known at the time. Forest gardening, which dates back to prehistoric times, is a fully organic food production system that is low-maintenance, sustainable, and widely successful in tropical areas. By…